


Stars In Her Eyes

by AthenasArtz



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Miraculous Ladybug Love Square, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-11
Updated: 2018-06-29
Packaged: 2019-05-20 19:47:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14900844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AthenasArtz/pseuds/AthenasArtz
Summary: Adrien Agreste, son to the Infamous Fashion Designer Gabriel Agreste, has finally returned home to Paris. Home, He soon reunites with an old friend from his childhood, Marinette Dupen-Cheng. What happens when his old feelings return, and how does he react when she has always viewed him as "just a friend"? In an attempt to win her favor, both Adrien and Chat Noir will do their best to attain her heart, amidst the trouble Hawkmoth has brought to Paris.





	1. Discovery

**Author's Note:**

> So here we go with this! I hope you guys like it!

Marinette Dupen-Cheng sped down the sidewalk, obviously in a hurry. Her hair was a bit of a mess, and she clung desperately to the strap that ran over her shoulder, connecting to the small purse she always carried with her. It was very important to her, after all. Within it, Marinette kept her Kwami, Tikki, hidden during the day, along with some snacks for her. She had lost it before, and was in no mood to lose it again, much less drop it.

Though exhausted, the dark haired girl couldn't help but smile upon seeing the familiar bakery only a couple blocks down the street. Her parents owned it, and her home was in an apartment just above. Marinette was close. With a final boost of energy, she pressed on.

The young woman had just returned from a fight with a recent Akuma, and it scared her. At first, she didn't know what it was, and Tikki had to explain it. As both Marinette and her Hero Persona, Ladybug, she had never encountered one. Though she had been working to protect the city since she was Fifteen years old, it had only been to deal with petty crimes. Some were harder, but most were easy because of her gifts as Ladybug. People loved it.

This was different though. It was harder. Marinette couldn't help but dislike it. Then again, a challenge was good. One of her old classmates, Ivan, had turned into a Rock creature that terrorized the city. It was strange, but Tikki guided her through it, explaining her Yo-yo, which previously only assisted in fighting and getting around the city, also allowed her to purify an Akuma. That, in itself was strange, let alone that someone could turn a butterfly into a creature destined to bring destruction and "Akumatize" a human. With the help of her _Lucky Charm_ , a power that gave Ladybug an item she required at random, she managed to win. It took time though.

Tikki warned her that something was going on, and it was obvious that the Kwami was scared as well, though when trying to ask about it earlier, she revealed nothing to Marinette more than the city was in danger. It frustrated Marinette, but she didn't press her.

As soon as Marinette reached the front door, she pushed it open and slid inside. That was followed by her leaning against it, breathing heavily. Beads of sweat that had collected slowly made their way down her forehead, and she wiped them away with the smallest of grunts. Her eyes raised up to the roof, and she could faintly hear footsteps. She hurried upstairs.

Two of her closest friends, Alya and Nathaniel, were already in her bedroom at work. The three had already planned on meeting up almost a week prior, when they could. Nathaniel was currently an Artist, and Alya controlled a blog, and worked part time for a news outlet in town. Marinette herself, worked in her parents bakery, but played with fashion designs, and was currently waiting on a response from a Designer in town after having submitted one of her portfolios.

"Marinette!" Alya Césaire's voice rang loud and clear through the room. "Where have you been, girl? Nat and I have been here for over half an hour watching the news!" Alya had dark hair that fell a little past her shoulders, and the ends were commonly dyed a redish-orange. Her hazel eyes stared intently at the Dupen-Cheng girl.

Marinette's cheeks darkened with an embarrassment, and she racked her mind for an excuse. "I took the wrong bus on the way back, but there weren't any others so I had to walk across town."

"Damn." Nathaniel, her blue eyed friend with bright red hair responded, eyebrows pushing together as he looked to her with sympathy. "That's happened to me before, and it isn't fun. Especially if you've been on your feet all day." He took a quick glance down at the pages in front of him, before back up at Marinette.

Alya didn't seem convinced, but that's because she knew Marinette always seemed to slip away, and that was even back in school. Luckily for her, Alya's mind was too preoccupied on the days events regarding Ladybug. "Whatever. But have you checked the news at all? This was totally different! There was this giant rock dude!" She grinned from ear to ear, still just like when she first started the Ladyblog. "Unbelievable! Then Ladybug did this thing with her Yo-Yo and fixed everything a little after."

"Seriously?" Marinette glanced back at forth between the two, pretending to be shocked. Talking about Ladybug always made her nervous, and rather uncomfortable. It was a secret that she had kept for over three years, and no one else knew. Well no one except for Master Fu, who had given the Ladybug Miraculous to her.

"Yeah!" The red haired boy nodded. "Alya's been flipping out over it for a while." He glanced at her with a grin, and Alya proceeded to swat at him.

It was nice for Marinette to see them getting along again. For a while, things had been awkward for the three of them. At one point, Nathaniel had asked her out, and the pair dated for a little over a month, before deciding things just didn't work as well as they had hoped. Upon first hearing about the rather easy breakup between Marinette and Nathaniel, Alya freaked out and needed to be calmed. It took a while for the group to ease again, but here they were now, comfortable with eachother just like before. Marinette was glad.

Nathaniel switched back over to Marinette, sticking his tongue out between his teeth and shaking his head slightly. "Anyways, why don't we get back to what we planned on, now that Mari is back?"

"Right." Alya spun around and headed back for her computer on Marinette's bed. "I have some serious stuff to do for the blog now!"

The small group of friends got to what they needed to do. Marinette and Nathaniel sat together near her desk, looking over prints and designs. Though Nathaniel didn't deal with fashion much, he agreed to help Marinette with colors and a few designs. They chatted about it, and Alya mumbled inaudibly to herself, making it obvious that the day's events still had her worked up.

The news continued to run on the Television for some time, switching back and forth between topics. It wasn't until the _Agrest_ e name rang out, did Marinette look over in surprise.

"What?" She questioned, jaw falling open in shock. The dark haired girl's gaze darted rather quickly around the room, until she spotted the remote near Alya. "Turn it up." She called quickly, and her best friend could only look over with a clueless expression. "The Television!"

Alta mouthed an 'Oh' and did as she was asked.

On the TV, Nadja Chamack was speaking. She was one of the more regular reporter's, and Marinette knew her well, seeing as she had babysat her daughter. Marinette listened in to what she was saying.

_"In other news, a couple famous faces have returned to Paris! Gabriel_ _Agreste_ _and_ _his modeling son, Adrien_ _Agreste_ _have already been seen moving_ _back_ _into their old mansion. It seems that the_ _father_ _and son duo has come back home.. And the Fashion Designer is already getting_ _back_ _to work here! A few contracts had already been made_ _public_ _a few weeks_ _back_ _, but now we see them!"_ Nadja smiled warmly at the camera. She was a natural for working on TV. Messing with the tablet she always held, a few images showed up on the Screen.

Marinette's eyes widened. Images showed both Adrien and Gabriel Agreste. Adrien looked older than the last time she had seen him, and defintely handsome. She smiled softly and watched. Both Adrien and Marinette had been close friends when they were younger. That was until his mother's death. After that point, his grief stricken father decided it was best to move away, and put their past behind them. The two old friends remained in contact for sometime after the move, but after Adrien got busy in his new home, communication sadly soon died afterwards.

Why they were back, she didn't know, but Nadja helpfully purposed it was due to the contracts at that moment.

She was shocked. Was there any chance she could see Adrien again? Possibly, though there were many doubts. It had been a long time. With the softest of thoughtful sighs, Marinette got back to work, contemplating it.


	2. Return To Paris

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I was going to post the second chapter a week later, but it's already been written so I decided to just post it today. I'll have to get started on Chapter 3 though. :)

Adrien heaved one of the larger boxes over his right shoulder, letting out a small grunt as he turned back for the large front doors belonging to the Agreste Mansion. He gave a rather quick, forced smile to one of the men that belonged to the Moving company as he went past. He was tired.

His father, Gabriel, had hired them to bring in some of the boxes, but Adrien chose to carry his own things in. It wasn't exactly much on his part. Only clothing, nick-nacks, and other odds and ends he had, but it was something, and he felt helpful. The rest of his belongings were already up in his room.

The house had been cleaned a couple days before for the Agreste's arrival, fixing, remodeling, and repairing anything that required attention- that of course, was almost everything in the building. The Mansion had been more or less abandoned since Adrien and his father moved, and that was Eight years ago. Now, the father and son were back.

Behind him, Adrien's bodyguard shut the front door. For the past hour, camera crews, reporters, and fangirls had begun collecting outside, almost begging - no they were - for the young model's attention. It annoyed him somewhat, considering he just wanted to be left alone. With the door shut, the sounds from outside were almost nonexistent. It was a relief.

Gabriel Agreste, his father, was standing near the staircase, thoughtfully contemplating some paperwork. "Adrien." He called his son to attention noticing he had one of the moving boxes. He didn't care enough to look up at him. "What are you doing?"

Adrien calmly looked from his father to the box, as though it should be rather obvious. "I'm helping to move things in, Father." His voice remained rather low, and respectful, as he was taught.

The designer's gaze was pointed once he finally looked up. "I hired the movers for a reason, and I don't need you straining yourself with an upcoming photoshoot. Let them do their job so they can leave."

The blond grimaced and glanced down at his feet as he passed for the stairs, carefully watching his steps. "It was the last box." The walls were painted white, and rather bright on his eyes. He would need to adjust, and that's what agitated him. Or at least, that's what Adrien told himself. In reality, it was his father mentioning what was already in his scheduling. Just now had they returned to Paris, and he was going to be busy again, almost right away.

Gabriel raised an eyebrow. "Well. They can leave." He turned for his assistant, Natalie, who was busy counting down some items on a clip board. "Tell them, and also let them know that payment will be sent tomorrow in the mail."

Natalie gave a small nod. She had average height, with dark hair that was always pulled back in a tight bun. A red streak ran through it, which seemed somewhat out of character for her. The woman always seemed rather uptight. Natalie had bright blue eyes, that ocasionally appeared turquoise. "Of course. Will that be all?"

"Ah, yes. Clear my schedule for the rest of the day." Adrien listened in silence as he began to make his way up the stairs again. His father thought briefly. His first statement caused both curiousity and joy, and he glanced over expectantly. Was he going to go out to dinner with him? "I have some personal business to attend to in my office." That joy was cut short quickly, and Adrien rushed up the rest of the way. _Nevermind._

The Agreste boy immediatly felt rather stupid, and childish. How could he possibly expect something like that? Since his mother's death, the family - meaning Gabriel and himself- became rather distant. Family dinners didn't seem to exist, and the only thing close enough to one, was when business deals were in order, and Gabriel was trying to please the opposing parties.

Natalie, dispite her dry personality, did the best she could to help him, and she did in many ways. She acted like a mother to him as much as she could, but things were difficult because she needed to remain professional. Adrien knew that, and he was grateful that at least, she cared.

With one last glance back at his father and Natalie, the blond headed up for his old room with the box. Upon setting it down, he began to roll his shoulder a bit to ease the pain. He would be fine. Besides, if something happened, he just wouldn't tell his father.

Adrien Agreste spent the next few hours in his bedroom. He organized and cleaned what he could of his reccently moved belongings, doing what he felt necessary until he was comfortable with the outcome. At this point, it was around Five-thirty, and he sought out something else to do.

Giving the room one final glance, Adrien made his way for the door. Pulling his coat off of his bed and turning around, his elbow hit the dresser behind him. His cheeks puffed out at the sudden, brief pain, but he thought nothing of it. That was, until he heard something fall, and glass shatter.

He gaped, mouth falling open as he hurried to see what had fallen. It was a picture frame, which was currently face-down. Small shards of glass peppered the floor around it, and as he lifted it up, the larger mess was revealed. Adrien sighed softly and gave it a glance.

The picture inside was of him when he was little. The photo was shot while he and a small girl had their arms round each other, hugging. His eyes narrowed, focussing on her dark hair, before trailing over her fair skin and freckled cheeks, and then his own young face. Innocent, bright green eyes that were filled with so much joy. It made him smile.

How old was he in the photo? Ten, maybe? Adrien guessed it was a little before his mother's accident, and the eventual move he and his father made. And what about the girl? She looked slightly younger than him. It took a moment before the memories clicked in place in his mind. She had been a close friend of his, hadn't She?

Curious now, he removed the picture from the broken frame, and folded it. Not a moment later did it rest in his pocket where it could remain safe. Adrien had a lot to think about now. He was back in Paris! The mess could wait, and get picked up later.

He sped out of his bedroom, and down the hall.

The young man tried to remain quiet as he crept for the front door. If he was stopped, his Father might tell him to stay, and that was not something he wanted to do. Even if his father did let him go, his bodyguard would probably be ordered to go with him. Adrien didn't want that at all. He wasn't a child anymore!

He pulled open the door quietly, and slipped past it. As soon as he was about to close it, he heard voices.

It was Gabriel, fighting with Natalie- or at least ranting angrily to her. Sometimes it was hard to tell. "-It was a complete and total failure! That did not go as planned!" Natalie responded, but professional was always, her voice was far too low for Adrien to hear.

Confused, Adrien listened for more, but had to shut the door fast as he suddenly spotted his father going by. With a shake of his head, he sped for the gates, and down the sidewalk. Thankfully, the crowds from earlier had given up waiting for him.

Adrien Agreste had no plan on signing any autographs, and he knew he would need to remain discreet if he wanted to avoid attention. He slowly pulled his hood over his head, hoping it would hide most of his messy blond hair. It was usually what gave him away- that, and his eyes. Glancing around for a destination, he spotted a sign that read "Place des Vosges". It was a nearby park, and now he had somewhere to go.

It didn't take long for the young model to get there. As soon as he passed through the entrance, his face gave way for a smile.

It was a nice sized park, with lots of space and trees that ran around the border of it for shade. Stand alone trees and fountains were placed here and there for decoration, and the paths moved about, circling them. There wasn't much noise either, which was pleasant. A group of children ran around close by, calling out to one another, but that was pretty much it.

Adrien made his way slowly, enjoying the gentle afternoon breeze. It felt good, each step at ease and comfortable. He could relax. He tilted his head back to let the light hit his face, not taking much of a notice to the two teenage girls passing nearby. His hood fell back off, uncovering his hair.

As soon as he realized they were staring at his face with mouths open, he shifted awkwardly. Adrien cursed himself, and slowly took a step back. "Um.. hey?" A hand raised and he waved, biting his own tongue.

The girls shuffled in place, unable to contain their excitement. "Y-Your Adrien Ag-" The shorter one began to make out.

Adrien rushed to cut her off. "Yes. Could you do me a favor?" He prayed it would work, as the girls nodded eagerly. One was trying to pull a notepad out of her bag, most likely looking for a signature. "Can you guys.. Not tell anyone I'm here? I need to uhm.. run." The blond spun around and took off.

There was a look of confusion on their faces, before it changed over to delighted screams and they began to chase him.

"Sh**." He mumbled to himself, glancing back at them. How long did he get? Ten minutes? He hated his job. It brought to much attention- attention he just didn't want.

_  
_


	3. Would You Care For A Snack?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh here is Chapter 3 for you guys!

Marinette kept herself busy for as long as she could, before finally switching over from work to her desktop. There was no way she could get the Agreste's return out of her head. She wanted more information and she had a computer. Alya and Nathaniel couldn't help but tease her here and there, as the dark haired girl stole glances at the Television. Nadja was no longer speaking specifically about Gabriel and Adrien Agreste, but others ocasionally commented on it.

"What are you gonna do, girl?" Alya questioned, curious. She didn't know much about Marinette's past friendship. "Do you have some weird celebrity crush?" Nathaniel chuckled and slipped the cap back over a marker he was using. It was a bright red, like his hair.

The ravenette's jaw dropped, and she stared blankly at the two. "Of course not! I'm pretty sure Adrien and I used to be friends!" Alya didn't seem to believe her, considering a doubtful eyebrow raised. "Its true! Before his mother died."

"Is that so? Or just a little fantasy from your silly self?"

Nathaniel watched the two banter for some time, only cutting in here and there with a laugh. He didn't typically interrupt them, instead letting the pair of girls argue to his amusement.

Marinette attempted to look for news articles in regards to the blond in question, but her friend decided to steal the mouse from her, clicking the 'image' tab. "Ooh look, Mari! He really is a model!"

The dark haired girl swatted at Alya, forcing her to pull back and avoid the contact. She was ready to respond, but her mother's voice called out to her from downstairs. _Now?_ She groaned and pointed at the two as she made her way for the latched door. "This isn't over, you two! I'll be right back!"

With her attention now fixed on whatever her mother wanted, she hurried, raising her voice to respond. "Coming, maman!" Marinette was kind of disappointed in having to run down, when she could have easily slapped a pillow against Alya's face. Still, there was always later. The thought made her grin.

Sabine, her mother, was waiting behind the front counter in the bakery with the biggest smile across her face. The ravenette couldn't remember the last time she had seen a smile that big. Was it her parents last Anniversary? Or maybe the time her father had dropped one of the cakes in a rush, and sent her laughing? Either way, it was obvious Sabine was happy right now.

Her mother clasped her hands together. "Marinette you will have no idea as to who just walked into our shop!" She motioned towards the other side of the counter, and Marinette nearly jumped out of her own skin. It was of course, Adrien Agreste. Just her luck.

At least he seemed to be surprised as well. She wasn't alone.

Adrien was at least a head taller than her, if not more. His skintone was fair, like her own, with striking green eyes. She was sure they could be very distracting. He had thick, golden hair, which was currently a bit messy due to his reccent escape from fans. Marinette continued to look. He was handsome, and she wouldnt deny it. His build seemed nice as well, but she couldn't tell while he wore the coat. Considering he was a model, she was sure it was very good. In fact, the pictures from earlier assured her of that.

Adrien Agreste's eyes widened as his gaze shifted from the daughter to the mother, and back again. His heart raced, and he was sure that it wasn't just because he had been trying to outrun a small crowd just a few minutes before. As he recalled it, the bakery looked like a quiet place where he could hide, and it smelled good. He didn't even know what he had walked into. Sabine was quick to recognize and welcome him, and now, here he was.

"Um.." He started slowly, unsure of what to say to them. "Hello?" A hand raised to Marinette, in an awkward attempt at being friendly. She did the same. Adrien looked over her, and in one word, he could give a simple description. _Cute. The girl was cut_ e.

Without much thought, the Blond reached for his pocket to search for the picture he has taken earlier from home. "What a coincidence." He breathed, breaking the silence. "Your mom was telling me she- uh- we were friends?" Adrien felt a bit dumb.  His throat was dry as he held up the photograph.

Marinette was shorter than him. She had gorgeous blue eyes and dark black hair with a hint of navy to match, pulled back in two long pony tails. If he could guess, Adrien would day they fell to the middle of her back, and would be longer if her hair was loose. Her lips were a soft pink. Freckles adorned her cheeks and the bridge of her nose, and there was no way he could count them. The Agreste boy tried not to check her out- especially not in front of Sabine. From the rest of what she could gather though, was that the girl was slender, but had what she needed in all the right places. His cheeks reddened.

The ravenette's younger self looked very similar, though with less freckles and curves. Her hair was shorter at a young age, which was only natural. She had small pigtails.

Sabine's grin was still wide as she reached for her daughter's shoulders. "Well." She murmered, proud of whatever she had done. "I have some things to do, dear. Make sure your friend has a snack, won't you?" Marinette nodded. With that, she spun around and disappeared behind a corner. The younger girl was sure that she was off to tell Tom, her dad.

The two young adults were quiet, and Adrien nervously tapped his fingers against the counter. Unsure of what to do, he looked around. Tables and shelves were stocked up with packages of treats and desserts, all ready to go, and beside the counter was a display case, with whatever fresh treats were left over from earlier. His mouth watered. Oh how Agreste's had a sweet tooth.

"I saw you on the Television." Marinette eventually took the Blond's attention, blurting out what came to mind.

He shifted. "Yeah. There were crowds around my house." It wasn't really a house, but _mansio_ n just seemed inappropriate to him, for their discussion. The silence returned, and Adrien winced. He needed to do something - anything - to keep this going. "Mind if I get a snack?" He motioned to the treats on display. "I'll pay, of course." Adrien slipped the photo in his pocket again, carefully, and went searching for his wallet. It wasn't there.

Marinette was grateful she could do something. Hopefully it would ease the tension. "Don't worry about paying." It was nice that he was willing to pay. "We know you-" S _orta._ "-so just consider it a 'Welcome home' gift." The dark haired girl reached for the metal tongs and a small bag. "What would you like?"

Adrien would never admit the amount of relief that surged through him when she told him they were gifts- it was sweet of her. He would have felt absolutely terrible if he had to pay, and couldn't find his wallet. That would have been a _great_ first impression after eight years. Adrien moved aside to see what they had. He picked out a few things, though trying to avoid going overboard. "Thank you!"

Once Marinette had passed the bag over to him, Adrien delighted in starting to eat. What he ate wasn't warm anymore, but it still tasted fresh and he knew it with the first bite. His eyes closed, and he remained in a silent bliss.

That was, until he remembered Marinette was there. Heat rushed to his cheeks, but eased as soon as he noticed her amused smile. _She's_ _not laughing. Just smiling. Good._ Adrien leaned against the counter, watching her, and mind running. He had hope that their old friendship could be rekindled. Maybe he wouldn't feel so alone.

The ravenette was in her own little bubble of thought as well, absentnindedly watching him eat. It wasn't until she paid attention to the movement outside, did she notice a group of people. They seemed to be searching, and she wouldn't be surprised if it was for Adrien again.

"Looks like your fangirls are back." Marinette mumbled, and she could swear she heard a fearful whimper from Adrien, who was too involved with his treats to want anything else. "Come on." With a deep breath, she reached for his free hand and pulled him around the counter. "You can hide upstairs."


	4. Don't Grab Her Stuff

Adrien was grateful when Marinette Dupen-Cheng led him up into her family's apartment, and to her room. Still, he couldn't help but feel embarrassed as she pulled him along, their fingers intertwined. It made him blush. To be fair, he didn't think the ravenette even realized how uncomfortable it made him.

Marinette led the sun kissed blond behind the counter and through a door. Following that was a hallway, and at the end, a staircase that went up three flights. Adrien was led to the top floor. A door opened above him, and Marinette continued to pull him along. His palms were sweaty, but she paid it no mind.

As soon as the pair was in her room, Marinette released his hand, allowing the young Agreste to breath. His cheeks were a soft pink due to embarrassment. First he found her to be cute, and then he was holding her hand? How bad could it get?

_Way more, Actually._ He enjoyed it, to say the least.

The dark haired girl gave him a glance. "Are you alright, Adrien?" Marinette asked with a soft smile. Amusement danced in her eyes, and he thought he was going to be seeing stars. Adrien gave her only a sheepish smile in response, and a nod. "Good. You'll be able to hide out for a bit then."

The pair's gazes lingered on each other for a moment, before an unholy screech was emitted from across the room, causing the blond to search for its source in bewilderment. It then dawned on him, that two others were in the room.

The first, was a dark haired girl. The ends of her hair were dyed a red color, but it went well with her complexion and hazel eyes. The next, was a boy slightly shorter than himself. He had red hair, blue eyes, and pale skin, though he didn't appear sickly. Adrien's eyebrows furrowed at the sight of him. _Did Marinette have a boyfriend?_

"Marinette!" The girl, who appeared to be a friend of Marinette's was quick to call her attention. She looked from her to Adrien, and back again, as if studying the two. A pair of magenta glasses ran over the bridge of her nose, slightly crooked, and she grinned. "Who is your friend?"

"Alya!" Marinette hissed softly between clentched teeth, and Adrien was glad he knew the name of one of them. "Don't start now!"

The girl known as Alya, flipped her hair back and folded her arms, as if preparing for something. "We let you go for ten minutes, and you find him?"

Adrien tilted his head, and looked to Marinette for an explanation. Obviously he was missing something.

"Quiet!" The girl responded, reaching for her best friend's arm. The grin made her nervous. Marinette reached forwards and gripped her wrist, quick to pull her aside. There was no way she would survive this if Alya wanted to tease her.

"You are crazy!" Alya chuckled, raising her brows to look over Adrien with interest. "How did you find him? Explain- I need the details!"

Marinette groaned. Hopefully Adrien wouldn't mind. At the moment, he was standing near Nathaniel. The pair of boys gave each other glances, but didn't make a move to speak with one another. She trained her attention back on Alya, and shrugged. What was she going to say? "He just ran into the shop, I guess!"

"Is that so?" Being the journalist she was, Alya wanted every bit of information she could get, and just claiming he wandered in wasn't going to get the ravenette anywhere.

"A crowd was chasing him outside." Marinette added slowly. "He needed to hide, and found my mom, who got me."

Alya reached up with a hand, holding her chin as she studied her friend. "Okay, but unless you wanted to lead him up here with special intentions, why is he here?"

The ravenette squeaked. The Cesaire girl wasn't typically the best at being quiet, and she knew Adrien would overhear. This was embarrassing! Adrien stood patiently, but she could tell he had heard them.

Marinette pinched her arm, and Alya only laughed. "A group of people were outside, and he needed an escape."

Adrien Agreste listened quietly as the two girls talked. It was obvious that Alya was a tease. The red haired friend, who was standing at his left, didn't say a word to him. In an attempt to wipe Alya's choice of words from his mind, he forced out enough courage to offer his hand to him. "Uh.. hello!" He started. "I'm Adrien."

"I noticed." The opposing male bit out, before taking his hand. He didn't seem to be at ease either with the situation. "I'm Nathaniel."

"Oh?" He looked at Marinette, hoping for some guidance, but she had continued with Alya in lower voices. "Are you and Alya-" He froze, unsure of how to ask. Adrien needed to clear it up right away.

"Dating? No." Nathaniel answered quickly. glancing down at the floor. The previous barrier broke away to reveal unease. Everyone was currently in that state, it seemed. "Marinette and I dated though."

That caused Adrien to stop in his tracks, concerned. They were Dating? _No. Dated._ It was in the past tense. The blond was relieved to a certain degree. He nodded and shifted his weight. "So just some friends hanging out then?"

Nathaniel agreed, and the two were thrown back into silence like before.

It took a few minutes for the blond to begin moving around. Would Marinette mind if he had a look around her room? It wouldn't be nosey - well maybe a little- but it's not like he was getting into anything! Plus, she was there and could tell him to stop if she wanted.

Adrien made his way along the border of her room, taking in quick glances to whatever she owned. The large cat plush on her bed made him grin- he loved cats. He also found the pink color of her walls - _and really everythin_ g - to be fine. It wasn't as harsh or overwhelming on the eyes as one might expect. It was obvious the pretty ravenette was interested in fashion, even if he hadn't spotted the stack of magazines on her desk. Some where by his father, and some weren't. Not a speck of dust sat on one, which suggested they were looked through often.

As soon as he came across the group's main focus, a table set out with various supplies, his interested perked even more. There was an open sketchbook. Could he have a peek?

Looking up at Nathaniel, who was watching the girls, he shrugged and began flipping through the pages. He was surprised, to say the least. Along with her interest in fashion, she seemed to enjoy designing. He was impressed. With the faintest click of his tongue, Adrien pulled out his phone and began taking pictures of his favorites. Perhaps his father might be interested? Well, if he could get a moment of his time.

The Agreste remained busy with this, until the second time he heard a throat clearing. His head shot up. It was Marinette. Her remarkable blue eyes stared intently down at him, squinting.

"What are you doing?" The ravenette demanded, reaching forwards to grab it. Adrien panicked, and glanced at Alya. She had a grin and he was instantly uneasy. "That's my sketchbook!"

Adrien reached up, scratching the back of his neck. His face was red. _Dammit!_ He scolded himself. _Look what_ _you've_ _gotten yourself into!_ "I-uhh.." He looked to the red haired boy for help, but Nathaniel seemed off in his own word, thinking. Did he do that a lot?

He swallowed. "I noticed the designs, and my father is a designer-"

"-Where you planning to steal them?" Alya cut him off. Her face was lit up, as if this could be an amazing topic for her blog.

"No!" The blond answered, clearly distraught. When had he ever stolen something? "I just wanted to show my father your designs."

Marinette's hardened, angry expression fell away, and an instant panic raced along her insides. How could she not have recognized something like that? She took a step back, folding her arms against her chest awkwardly. Here she was, accusing her icon's son! _Way to go, Mari!_

She looked to her best friend to help, but Alya was hunched over, clutching her sides as she forced back laughter. That wasnt what she needed. "Oh- um.. sorry." She carefully set the book back down on the table, as if it and everything around her was made of glass. "I'm just very protective of my art."

"I noticed." Adrien answered her, and she felt the sudden tension. "I should have asked first anyways."

Awkward periods of silence seemed to be a recurrence today. No one knew what to say, and the only noises came from Alya, who was amused by the whole thing.

"Why don't we get some cookies?" Marinette asked, grabbing Nathaniel's arm as she headed for the door. "A snack will do us all good."

Adrien frowned, but agreed. With Marinette and Nathaniel gone, he was left alone with Alya.


End file.
